Two Decca 25 cm 78 discs, originally Polydor recordings, with a very nice cast.
The Arabella recording from 1933 is very special because both Viorica Ursuleac and Alfred Jerger sang in the world premiere in 1933.
It is also nice because Viorica Ursuleac was married to Clemens Krauss, the conductor on both records.
Viorica Ursuleac (26.03.1894 - 22.10.1985): Romanian soprano. Trained in Vienna.
1922: Debut in Zagreb as Charlotte (Werther).
1924-1926: Wiener Volksoper
1926-1930: Frankfurt Opera. She married conductor Clemens Krauss.
1930-1935: Wiener Staatsoper
1935-1937: Staatsoper Unter den Linden Berlin
1937-1944: Bayerische Staatsoper
She was Richard Strauss' favourite soprano and sang in world premieres of 4 of his operas: Arabella (1933), Friedenstag (dedicated to Ursuleac and Krauss; 1938), Capriccio (1942) and Die Liebe der Danae (1944, dress rehearsal).
1954: farewell in Der Rosenkavalier (Wiesbaden)
1964: appointed professor at the Mozarteum in Salzburg.
Erna Berger (19.10.1900 - 14.06.1990): German coloratura soprano. Most famous as Queen of the Night and as Konstanze. She sang at the Wiener Staatsoper, Staatsoper Berlin, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Metropolitan, and gave concerts in Japan, America and Australia.
She retired at 60 and became a singing teacher in Hamburg and Essen.
Alfred Jerger (09.06.1889 - 18.11.1976): Austrian bass-baritone. Educated in Vienna, started to work as a conductor in 1913.
1917: debut as bass-baritone in Zurich.
1919-1921: Staatsoper Munich, through Richard Strauss.
1921-1953: Wiener Staatsoper.
1922-1959: frequently participated in the Salzburg Festival.
1933: sang in the world premiere of Arabella the role of Mandryka (Semperoper, Dresden)
1947: professor at the Wiener Musikakademie.
Heinrich Schlusnus (06.08.1888 - 18.06.1952): German lyric baritone, sang opera as well as songs. Trained in Berlin and Frankfurt.
1915: debut in the opera of Hamburg
1915-1917: Nuremberg
1917-1951: Staatsoper Berlin.
1927-1928: Chicago Opera
1933: sang in Bayreuth.
1 R. Strauss - "Arabella": Finale: Das war sehr gut, Mandryka
Viorica Ursuleac, soprano
Alfred Jerger, baritone
Orch. Staatsoper Berlin c.b. Clemens Krauss
78t 25 cm: Decca DE.7025 5577½bd / 5578bd
Recorded 1933
2 W.A. Mozart - "Don Giovanni": Reich' mir die Hand, mein Leben
Erna Berger, soprano
Heinrich Schlusnus, baritone
3 W.A. Mozart - "Le nozze di Figaro": Wenn die sanften Abendwinde
Erna Berger, soprano
Viorica Ursuleac, soprano
Orch. Staatsoper Berlin c.b. Clemens Krauss
78t 25 cm: Decca DE.7070 2933½ gn8 / 6400¾gr
Recorded 11.06.1936 (side 1) / 22.01.1936 (side 2)
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